Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs helped officially kick off the Central Florida Workplace Challenge, a friendly competition that will help local businesses save money, create healthier workplaces, reduce their environmental impact and enhance our community through volunteer service.

“In addition to being economic drivers, our workplaces are critical in shaping our quality of life and impacting our community in positive ways,” Mayor Jacobs said during her remarks at the 2016 Economic Summit launching the initiative. “Achieving a more diverse, resilient, and thriving economy, while protecting and enhancing our environmental and cultural legacy, requires businesses to be leaders of change.”

Alexa Stone, founder and President of ecoPreserve, an organization with a mission to help organizations improve operations, reduce costs and achieve sustainability, assisted with outreach at the Economic Summit.

“After the announcement, businesses registered for the Workplace Challenge on the spot,” Stone said. “Central Florida businesses want our region to be a prosperous, healthy and lively place to live, work and visit.”

The six-month long challenge will provide businesses with the opportunity to earn awards and recognition, enjoy educational and networking socials, and compete to be the best in one or more of the three categories: Green, Healthy and Involved. The competition will be based off of online scorecards where participants can earn points for completing a range of tasks designed to improve their workplaces. Those competitors who score enough points will be recognized at an award ceremony at the conclusion of the challenge.

“Central Florida is on a mission to become the most robust region in the country,” Orlando, Inc. Executive Vice President José Fajardo said. “Participating in the Central Florida Workplace Challenge is a great way for local businesses to accomplish this vision by strengthening the business climate through enhancing our workplaces and our community.”

Every day, more than 700,000 individuals go to work in Orange County. Many people spend more time at work than any other place. Workplaces make a big difference in our lives both individually and collectively. Healthy workplaces make for healthier, more productive and happier employees. Workplaces where colleagues volunteer together to make a difference in the community helps build teamwork on the job.

Green workplaces typically reduce operating costs while decreasing environmental risks and liabilities. Pursuing the triple bottom line of profit, people and planet is good for business and good for our community.